Dikir barat

Dikir barat

Dikir Barat presentation by female students.
Native name	دكير بارت‎ Dikir Hulu/ดิเกร์ฮูลู
Genre	Traditional dance
Origin	Thailand (Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat provinces) and Malaysia (Kelantan)

Dikir barat (Kelantan-Pattani: Dikey Baghak or Dikey Hulu; Jawi: دكير بارت‎; Thai: ลิเกบารัต; RTGS: Li-ke Barat) is a musical form, native to the Malay Peninsula, that involves singing in groups—often in a competitive setting. Dikir barat may be performed either with a percussion instrumental accompaniment, or with no instruments at all. The origins of dikir barat are unclear; it is found in both Malaysia and Thailand, and today the Malaysia National Department for Culture and Arts actively promotes it as an important part of Malaysian national culture.^[1]

Since the mid-1970s, Dikir barat has also gained popularity in Singapore, evolving into a distinctive style known as Dikir Barat Singapura.